Tuesday, January 2, 2018

"He is still the undefiled, but no more a stranger."

This
is one of those story-telling carols of which there are many! In stanza
one the Baby is born; in stanza two the angels appear and the shepherds
arrive, etc. The teaching point at the center of this carol, however,
is the sinlessness of Christ – at his birth, during his earthly life,
and (seemingly) beyond!

Hymns and carols have always
helped us understand theology and/or tenets of the faith, and here Cook
tucked away two references to the fact that Jesus was un-touched by sin
entering this world or living in it – a feat of which none of the rest
of us can boast.

In the first line of the carol, we sing, “There he lay the undefiled, to the world a stranger.”
In THIS hymnline of the last stanza, not only is he still undefiled, he
is no longer a stranger! Not only is he a celebrity of sorts – most
everybody in the world has heard of him – but we can get to know him
personally as the reigning Son of God… and we can join with all the
earth in the praise of this Baby laid so gently by his mother on a bed
of hay.

Speaking of theology, we are able to get to
know Christ partly because of his sinlessness. You just cannot say a bad
thing about the way he lived; he cannot be penalized for any
infraction. (I’ve obviously watched too much football this week!) His
spotless record made it possible for him to stand in for us as the
sacrificial Lamb.

We will never become sinless during the new year, but we can become less sinful. Now THAT is an achievable resolution.

P.S. - I’ve
mentioned Christmastide a couple of times and want to clarify that a
bit for those of you who aren’t “up” on the Church Year. Christmastide
is commonly called the Twelve Days of Christmas. This includes eleven
days after Christmas and culminates on the twelfth day which is
Epiphany… the day we celebrate the coming of the Magi. We observe that
in worship on the Sunday nearest that twelfth day – or the first Sunday
in the new year. This season includes the celebration of the
presentation of Christ at the Temple and his baptism. I won’t, by the
way try to fill up another month and a half with Epiphany hymns!!!

Hymnlines - Hemlines: Get it?! :)

About Me

A native of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, went to high school with Dolly Parton... and am still friends with her sister Stella who was "most talented" with me in our graduating class of 1967! Was a Southern Baptist for most of my life,am currently affiliated with Cooperative Baptists. Have worked in Baptist and Presbyterian churches - basically consider myself a Baptiterian!

Love words (texts). Am a published hymn-writer, anthem-text writer and composer. Into live theater, museums and antique stores. Enjoy good movies and PBS dramas.

Married to Carlita - Two bonus sons: Dustin,and Clint and his wife Sherry with our two grandsons Kyle and Carson who just happen to live close by!